Trips in the Dark
by Spamano Love Child
Summary: A new kid is coming to Wammy's Orphanage. His name is Near, and his arrival sends his new friends scrambling to piece this puzzle together before it's too late. There are two OCs, so don't like, don't read. Warnings: Language, possible abuse, self-harm, attempted suicide, and eventual sexual references.
1. Let's Meet

Trips in the Dark

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Your son has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. It's not really all that bad, but there is a direct line between it and autism. There isn't much we can really do for him. There aren't any medications specifically for Asperger's, but there are medications that can help with the symptoms, which are restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors, lack of social empathy-which may cause selective mutism; where he would only talk to certain people-, and a use of formal language-causing a lack of understanding of figurative speech. Children with AS are much more likely to have sleeping issues, such as having difficulty falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings. He will also have trouble with emotions. On the other hand, your son should have excellent hearing and seeing perception," Their doctor said, never once looking up. The child playing with blocks on the floor squirmed. He was uncomfortable with all the grown-ups around.

"How will this affect his daily life, and how can we help?" His father asked, bearing a stern look. The doctor cleared his throat before continuing.

"As I previously said, there are no specific medications. One I highly recommend is Sertraline. It's used to treat obsessive-compulsive-like behavior, social anxiety, and panic. It does increase risk for suicide, and if the medication is suddenly no longer being given, then there will be withdrawal. This includes irritability, agitation, dizziness, headache, nervousness, crying, emotional lability, bad dreams and anger. There is therapy for social skills, social communication intervention, physical therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. I would look into all of these and choose which ones are right for your son. Support from you two can help greatly," he finished, and walked away after filling out a prescription. The mother sighed, picking up her son. The man put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's just go get the meds and see if they help," he stated, making his way to his car. He seemed angry. She sighed again.

"Oh, Nate, what are we going to do with you?"

Nate had been on the medication for about four months. They were helping some, but not enough for his father's likings. He hated his son for what he was. He was even an albino! His father, Rick, would stomp around his house, and start fights with Tricia, Nate's mom. Every time they fought, Nate would lose himself in a puzzle, trying to escape the reality of his home. But one day, his father really had had enough.

"I'm sick of this kid! He costs too much money, and he barely does a thing! He's worthless! I want him out when I get back! If he's not, I'll kill him myself!" He shouted, slamming the garage door. Nate walked over to his crying mother. He didn't like to see his mama cry. He didn't like to see his Father yell. Well, in actuality, he didn't like his father at all. He made too much noise and was angry too much.

"Mama? Are you okay?" He asked, laying a hand on her back. They stayed there for a couple of minutes before Tricia shook her head. She looked at Nate, her expression sad.

"Would you like to go for a ride?"

Twenty minutes later, Nate was clean, and had a packed backpack on his back. His mother put him in her car, and they drove. They drove until Nate fell asleep, and longer. Roughly two hours later, his mama stopped, unbuckling him, and setting him on the ground. She gave him a piece of paper. Nate squinted at the writing, but was unable to read it due to the fact that it was in cursive. Cursive was hard to read.

"Ring the doorbell, and when someone answers, give them that paper, okay?" Tricia ordered softly. Nate didn't notice the tears in her eyes, or the way she hugged him a bit too tight. He also didn't notice her getting back into the car, all windows up and doors locked. Nate walked to the door, rang the doorbell, and when become aware of the fact that his mother was gone, tears began to prick his eyes. And that's when an old man opened the door.

"Why hello there. Who are you?" He asked, smiling kindly. Trusting his mother (Unknowingly for the last time of his life), he handed over the paper, and the man read it over. His eyes crinkled as his smile widened. Nate stared up at him head tilted to the right with an adorably confused expression on his faced. The old man looked him over, and Nate fidgeted under his gaze. He stepped aside.

"Why don't you come in?" The place was filled with kids. Nate looked down as he stepped inside, and refused to look back up. The other children were too loud; the laughter and screams being too loud for his liking. Of course, many things were too loud for his liking. Peace and quiet sounded nice right about then. The man led him to an office-like room where he pulled out some papers and a pencil.

"Would you be so kind as to fill out your name and take this test?" Nate twirled a lock of his hair, pulling the test over to himself. He looked over the test, put down his name, and began. The man smiled.

A short amount of time later, Nate was done. The man put the test in a machine. After waiting for five minutes-Why did it take so long, Nate wondered- the machine beeped, and the test came out. After looking it over, the man smiled again.

"My name is Roger. Welcome to your new home."

They even gave him a new name. He picked it out, but they made him pick one. He didn't want a new name, but he chose Near anyway. He got his own room. The door had an "N" on it. He had a closet, dresser, bed, TV, computer, everything. But Nate wanted his mom back. He wanted to be called Nate. He wanted what he couldn't have. And that realization made him sad.

A few kids came by to see him on the first day, but he never really said anything. His selective mutism was setting in. After that, only a red head would visit him, playing video games all the while. Near would just put together a puzzle. He learned his name was Matt, but after that, they didn't talk. They would sit in a comfortable silence, each doing their own thing for an hour before Matt left. On his third day, Nate left his room with Matt.

The stares were the worst. They would stare at him with judging eyes, whispering rumors they'd heard from their friends. Nate grabbed on to the back of Matt's vest and stuck close. He led him to a room with a blond boy, a brown haired girl, and a lot of toys.

"Matt, who is that?" The girl asked, peeking behind the redhead. Near shrunk into his back.

"This is Near. He's six, new, and quiet. He likes puzzles," Matt announced, prying Nate off of his back and putting him in front. He just looked down. Suddenly, a girl's face appeared in his sight. He jerked back in alarm, sending Matt to the ground, who dragged him along for the ride. The girl burst into laughter, offering her hand to Nate. She was beautiful.

"I'm Eclipse. The blond's Mello, and _you_ are adorable," she smiled. Nate finally took her hand and she pulled him up gently. She led him to the couch and sat him down. Matt grumbled, his goggles askew.

"What, no help for the redhead?" He asked jokingly.

"Of course not," Eclipse answered matter-of-factly, "I'd get pulled down myself 'cause you're mean." Nate sat quietly. These people were weird.

On his sixth day, he noticed something wrong. He's woken up from a dream of his mother being murdered at four in the morning. The time didn't bother him though. That was normal. It was the dream that was unusual. He usually didn't dream though, or, at least, he never remembered them. But that dream, it was very vivid. He was shaking, sweating, and was very dizzy. He stumbled to the living room where he cried. He didn't know why, but he was. He couldn't stop, and it scared him.

"Near, are you okay?" Someone asked him, touching his shoulder. He looked at the clock. Six. He then looked at the face. Eclipse. He looked away and continued crying.

"Near? I'll be right back. I'm going to get Matt, okay?" She rushed away. And all he could do was cry.

"Matt! Matt!" Eclipse yelled running into he and Mello's shared room. They both looked at her sleepily and annoyed.

"What?"

"Something's wrong with Near!"


	2. You Had to Find Out Eventually

Chapter 2

**AN: Hey, guys! Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, or following! Heck, even looking at it is good enough for me! Just so you know, flames are to burn Ryuk's apples, and constructive criticism is appreaciated. That, and check out the link at the bottom of the page. 'Tis appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: If I had my way, guess how many people wouldn't have died? Oh, and Misa wouldn't have existed. Probably.**

"What?"

"I saaaid, something's wrong with Near!" Eclipse yelled, and Matt hopped out of his bed, dragging Mello along. Eclipse lead the way, with Matt breathing hard, and Mello cursing for being woken up and dragged. When they arrived, Nate was still crying.

"Near? Near, buddy, what's wrong?" Matt asked kneeling down beside him. Near just turned his head. Matt stared. What could be-

"If the kid doesn't want to tell you, then leave him alone!" Mello growled, annoyed, "I'm going back to bed!" And that's when Nate burst into laughter, still crying. Clearly, that scared the heck out of everybody present, including the child himself. He began to hiccup, and Eclipse leaned down, rubbing comforting circles onto the child's back. They were all children, children that were used to being alone. Near evidently was, and the girl decided that even if it killed her, she would make this boy's life better.

"Near? Okay, seriously, stop that. What's wrong?" Matt asked. By now, some of the earlier wakers were up, and staring at the scene with unrelenting curiosity. They were whispering again, and Nate's head pounded. Why were they whispering? Why did they whisper about him? He hated it. Why couldn't he be left alone in his pain, like he always was? He didn't know how to deal with it. So he did something he saw constantly. Got angry. Nate whipped his head around and glared at the group.

"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you!" Eclipse took a step back, surprised. That's when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She shrieked. That voice could only mean one thing, and that one thing would be _extremely_ helpful at this point in time.

"What's going on?" Eclipse's older sister, Flight, asked. Eclipse tackled her in a hug. Flight pushed her off, glaring. She had been on a plane for hours, children screaming the entire time. And guess what she had returned to? She honestly felt like bitching about it to her younger sister, but decided it probably wasn't the best time. She noticed her sister's friend Mello walk over. His face said he was pissed off.

"This new kid is seriously messed up. He's crying for no apparent reason, and then bursts into laughter?" Mello complained.

"I'll go get Roger, okay?" She whispered in Eclipse's ear. She nodded, and Flight slipped away, running. Eclipse clasped her hands together, hoping that they could calm Near down, and get some answers. Of course, she was no idiot. Things were _never_ simple, especially here. From the child's point of view, life was a tangled web of lies, death, and confusion. Of course, with her life, that was what was expected of her.

Five minutes later, Flight appeared, dragging a tired Roger, who looked at Nate with wide eyes. He had progressed to lying on the ground, still crying, moaning in pain. Eclipse and Matt tried to talk to him, but he would just yell that them, give another whimper of pain, and go back to crying. As patient as the two were, they were getting seriously annoyed. Of course, the two being as kind as they were, they were letting their worriedness overtake the annoyance.

"Near, what's wrong? Is it something we can help you with?" Nate didn't answer. He never talked to Roger. That's when something dawned on Eclipse. She smiled at Nate, looking sad yet excited. Realizations always made her excited. It was one of the few ways she showed she truly was a genius.

"Near, do you by any chance have _selective mutism_?" She asked. The boy nodded. She looked proud of herself. And suddenly she cut all emotions out of her facial expression.

"Why is that? And is it connected as to why you're crying and laughing and stuff?" Matt asked, jumping back into the conversation. Nate shrugged, and Matt sighed. Nate felt bad for his new friends. They didn't deserve to deal with him and his stupid problems. He didn't want them to hate him, like his father, he wanted them to love him like his mother. But how could you love something that's so messed up?

"…drome," he whispered. They leaned in; they couldn't hear him well.

"…syndrome," he whispered one again.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Asperger's syndrome," Nate put his head down and cried more, "I-I haven't taken m-my meds, recently, a-and I-"

"You're going through withdrawal, right? Crap," Eclipse looked around wildly, "What do you take?"

"It starts w-with an 'S,'" He whispered, unsure himself. He only trusted his momma when it came to his…Syndrome.

"Flight, look up a medication starting with "S" for Asperger's!" Flight threw her hand out in a very anime way and a voice full of bravado. Eclipse shook her head, pulling a laptop out of a shoulder bag. She scrolled for a while, sighed, typed in something else, sighed again, typed something else, repeated the process, before taking a glance at Nate and looking back at the screen.

"Sertraline?" She asked, Nate nodding, "Why would they give such a dangerous medication to a kid…?"

"What do ya mean?" Eclipse asked.

"It's an antidepressant. Increased suicidal thoughts or behavior, in children it could trigger anxiety, hostility, restlessness or impulsive behaviors, agitation, increased bleeding, seizure…Jeez. Near, you need this medication like, now. This isn't good," Her eyes swept the screen, and she looked increasingly worried.

"Near, where's your medication?" Matt asked, his voice kind as ever.

"I-I don't h-have it," He whispered. Eclipse's eyes widened. Matt calmed himself down, "How long have you been taking Sertraline?"

"A-about four m-months…"

"Have you had seizures?" He nodded, "Did they say it was because of your meds?" He shook his head. Matt found himself angry at the medical system. He doubted they explained to the kid about his condition. Parents weren't the only ones who needed information. Children needed to understand what would happen to them, and an inclination of why. When his brother was found to have…!

"Roger, he needs a hospital. E.R. would probably be best. An ambulance would only disturb the other here," Flight spoke with urgency, "We need to go." Roger called for one of the staff (One of the ones who prowled the halls to make sure they were all behaving), requesting for them to drive Nate. She nodded (Her name was apparently Alecia), but when she leaned down to take Nate's hand, he shrunk back further into himself.

"Let me go with you. He at least talks to me, so I can help answer the doctor's questions," Matt advised. He looked to Roger for permission, who nodded in turn, "But that means I can't keep Mels calm. Eclipse, Flight, you up to it? I think he went back to sleep, 'cause I don't see him anywhere." The sisters agreed. Matt sighed, kneeling down to the crying child. He held out his hand, his goggles on the top of his head. Hesitantly Nate took it. And with it?

_He opened a door to a world of possibilities._

The awesome link! teampitchdark. wix teampitchdark


	3. I Guess This Time Could Work Out Well

**AN: Sorry for any errors concerning spelling and Near's name last chapter. I forgot to check it over. I know, I'm hopeless. And, I screwed up the link! Here: : / / teampitchdark . wix teampitchdark Probably too many spaces, but I dunno, I'm too lazy to check, and trying to write. Once again, flames for Ryuk's apples.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I wish I DID. But I don't.**

Chapter 3

The trip there was quite…Difficult. Nate couldn't stay still. So as Matt tried to calm the boy in the back seat, Nate would lash out, his unavoidable anger getting the better of him. Matt wouldn't be surprised if he woke up tomorrow littered in bruises. But that didn't matter at the moment, Nate did, and he wasn't letting the kid down. So when he stopped moving due to headaches, Matt quietly held him, gently massaging his head. He hoped it would help, but doubted it.

"We're here," Alecia called quietly. Matt had a small feeling that things were about to get worse.

"Go tell them what's going on, I'll get him out of the car," Matt replied, and for a moment the woman looked hesitant, but when met with Matt's determined face, she nodded, going inside. Matt sighed in relief, unbuckling the child who moaned in pain, "I know Near buddy, I know. But a little longer and it'll be okay…" He whispered, and a thought struck him.

What name did Alecia give him? She couldn't just say Near, and like hell she could give his real name, whatever the hell that was. He bit his lip, but decided for the better of his friend to address it later. He helped Nate out of the car, half carrying-half dragging the kid to the entrance. He walked in to see about three other people there, two of which were sitting together, and one woman off in the corner. They didn't seem hurt, so Matt assumed that they were just the families or friends of other patients who were currently being treated. Alecia pointed to them, and a nice lady-nurse came over, smiling.

"Hello, are you Nathan and Michael? Your aunt has told me what happened. Please, if you follow me, I can help make you feel better," Matt was having trouble deciding if her smile was fake or not. Mentally shrugging, he followed her to a very close-by room where she laid Nate on a bed, "Rest here for a while I get your medicine. It shouldn't be too long now. Oh, and your aunt will be here in a sec, she's doing some paperwork in the front!"

"So…_Nathan_, how're ya feeling? Probably pretty bad, considering how you don't have your medication yet, but whatever. Details, details, right?" Nate wouldn't answer, as predicted, but it still made Matt feel a bit, well, _dejected_. He shook his head, choosing to look out of the window. The red-head had forgotten to bring any gaming systems in the hurry, and without the sheep talking to him, he was bored out of his mind.

"Here we go!" The nurse's loud, cheerful voice broke through the silence. Matt glared at her, didn't she know Nate had a headache? Stupid bitch. She ignored the red-head, swiping an alcohol pad just over a vein in Nate's hand, letting it dry, and she looked at Nate again, question in her eyes, "I have to apply a tourniquet, but no for too long, okay?" And she did. Nate squeezed his eyes shut, because it _hurt_, but at Matt's gentle reassurances, he calmed a bit.

She pulled his skin taut, began to insert the I.V., stopping. Nate felt something wet and warm drip down his arm before she continued on, pulling out the needle. The lady took off the tourniquet, pulled out the needle, and applied a weird, waxy-feeling band aid like thing (That they would one day know as occlusive dressing). She did a few things, this and that, and left with a smile.

"Well, buddy, I hope things get better now."

**AN: So, this is super short and all, but I wanted to get **_**something**_**up. I hope you like it a little bit…**


	4. Author Has A Note For You!

**A/N: Sorry guys, but this is a fake chapter. The reason? I can't continue until I get an answer. You guys remember me asking about a time skip? Or, at least, I should have. Well, I need an answer if you ever want another chapter again. This is a difficult story to write, and I want to know what you guys think.**

**I have a poll on my profile. This is important. So, either vote or leave a review. Otherwise, I cannot and will not continue.**

**I really am sorry about this, but I need to know where this should head, and the next chapter basically will be setting up for the rest of the story. Speaking of, I am ****_completely_**** open to suggestions. Really, I am!**

**Anyway, once again for the cop-out chapter. -.-' So, time-skip or no? If so, how long?**

**With lotsa love,**

**Lin Lin or Mannie**


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